Bernie Sanders calls for funding of gun violence studies (after he voted against it)

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Thursday urged the funding of gun violence studies at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two decades after he voted against funding research into firearms injuries.

"We must authorize resources for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study and research the causes and effects of gun violence in the United States of America," a Sanders campaign email said on Thursday.

...

Sanders, then a Vermont U.S. representative, voted against an amendment, which ultimately failed, that would have authorized funding for such research, according to the website for the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. ( 1.usa.gov/1HJAOXR)

---

Sanders has been dogged by criticism from gun-control groups since entering the presidential race. While in the House of Representatives, he supported a 2005 federal law that shielded gun manufacturers, distributors and dealers from civil liability for mass shootings, and voted against the 1993 Brady Bill that imposed mandatory background checks and waiting periods for gun purchases.

More at http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/12/04/us-usa-election-sanders-guns-idUSKBN0TN06O20151204#uBaYoGUvGc7okG0y.99

[Cali_Democrat]

1. It's hard to take Bernie seriously when it comes to gun control

or any other issue not related to income inequality.

He's only supporting it now because he needs votes in the Democratic primary.

Hell, Bernie voted against the Brady bill.

It's hard to take him seriously on this issue.

[upaloopa]

2. I think it's what we do today that matters

[hrmjustin]

3. Looks like Bernie Sanders evolved.

[Kalidurga]

56. Yeah

That is what I was going to say. There is nothing wrong with coming to a more sane position.

[The Roux Comes First]

4. Good for Bernie for Evolving on Gun Control!

I know I have a number of important choices from a long time ago that I now regret whose consequences I would un-do if I could.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

5. Hopefully, he apologizes for his past votes against gun control legislation.

Hillary Clinton has apologized for her Iraq War vote. I don't ever recall Bernie Sanders apologizing and calling it a mistake for his votes against pro control legislation like the Brady Bill.

[floriduck]

7. No apologies necessary. 20 years ago, life was a bit different. nm.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

9. The law shielding gun manufacturers from liabilities was 10 years ago

The Columbine massacre happened about 15 years ago. So, I dunno when you say "life was a bit different."

[JaneyVee]

47. 20 years ago gun homicides were more than double what they are today.

[MADem]

26. Really--he should admit his error. Like HRC did. Will he? I doubt it. nt

[MrMickeysMom]

6. It's getting deep already...

[hrmjustin]

8. Are you disputing the op?

[MrMickeysMom]

10. That depends...

Was it a joke?

[hrmjustin]

11. No it was very serious.

[MrMickeysMom]

12. Really?

Here's something seriously surrounding the issue of gun control and Bernie Sanders...
http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_Gun_Control.htm

[hrmjustin]

13. Do you dispute any of the facts the story presents?

Simple question.

[MrMickeysMom]

15. Did you have time to read the link, because that makes the point well.

It's simpler than you think.

[hrmjustin]

16. I see nothing on gun studies. Can you point out in your link

where it addresses gun studies?

[MrMickeysMom]

17. Prior to 1994, Sanders made this same point and earned his rating with the NRA

He voted for the ban on assault weapons ,which brought the wrath of the NRA down on him while running in the State of Vermont.

You want the gun studies behind that decision to justify why you think he has or had no interest in this? Or, is this another thread of trying to find something wrong?

[hrmjustin]

18. My point is he evolved.

I always liked him but there are a few votes on guns I didn't agree with. Not a sin to criticize Sanders although some think it is.

But in the end your link does not despute the op.

He voted against funding these studies and he now supports them. He changed his opinion.

[MrMickeysMom]

20. I think he HAS evolved, but too many have equated his stance on GC as bad...

... I feel it is not. However, since this congress has NEVER been able to pass any meaningful CG law, and Sanders, coming from a gun friendly state that accompanied the lowest abuse of gun ownership, had a formula which would had had more chance of passage. Now that everyone is (temporarily) jumping up and down on control legislation, maybe it's a good idea WHILE studying it (something that physicians have pushed for years to be endorsed by the CDC) to see what Sanders has said all along.

Record on Gun Control:
Gun control legislation should ultimately fall on individual states, with the exception of instant background checks to prevent firearms from finding their way into the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, and a federal ban on assault weapons.

Manufacturer Liability:
Gun manufacturers should not be held liable for the misuse of their products, just as any other industry isn’t held accountable for how end-consumers use their products.

Gun Control:
Largely a state issue because attitudes and actions with regards to firearms differ greatly between rural and urban communities. Nevertheless, Bernie believes there are situations where the federal government should intervene. He voted in favor of requiring background checks to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of felons and the mentally ill, passing a federal ban on assault weapons, and closing loopholes which allows private sellers at gun shows and on the internet to sell to individuals without background checks.

Examples re: divide between rural and urban communities:
The state of Vermont is the most gun-friendly state in the nation, while at the same time it boasts the absolute lowest rate of gun-related crime.

Gun legislation recommendation:
Middle-ground legislation. As Americans in rural areas have a very different view towards guns as do those who live in densely populated urban environments, he believes in a solution which promotes gun rights for those who wish to possess them while also ensuring their safe and secure use so that they cannot be used to harm fellow human beings.

Gun regulation as a federal issue:
Voted in favor of a nationwide ban on assault weapons, a nationwide ban on high-capacity magazines of over ten rounds, and nationwide expanded background checks that address unsafe loopholes.

He believes assault weapons, as well as magazines holding more than ten bullets, should be banned nationwide. Why?
In a recent speech, Bernie explained that, in his view, assault weapons should be categorically banned:

[hrmjustin]

21. Well he certainly has a better record than Republicans.

But there are a few votes I disagree with. Having said that if elected I think he will do the right thing.

[MrMickeysMom]

30. You and I agree!

... and I believe I left the essential steps where single payer designed health regulation leads a path... and that is to address the mental health that, shall we say, has been swept under the rug. To many people fall outside of any recognition/diagnosis/treatment before being identified.

[MaggieD]

23. Are you calling the OP a big pile of shit?

Well of course you are because that's okay if you are a Bernie supporter. Right?

By the way, the OP is exactly correct. So your personal attack isn't even accurate.

[mwrguy]

14. Bernie is a windsock on gun control

[MuseRider]

19. What sane person ever imagined

that this country would turn into this? I have some issues with Bernie on gun control but not very many of our elected officials are going to stick their necks out.

I will give him a pass on this evolution because, this is far far beyond most people would have ever imagined. Thankfully he is able to move toward solutions.

[MaggieD]

22. Bernie flip flopped again?

No surprise.

[MADem]

27. IOKIYBS!!! He always gets a pass here.

Without shame or irony, too...

[Kentonio]

24. I'm very disappointed that he voted against this the first time.

I don't mind the liability vote because I think allowing people to sue the manufacturers of something that is legal is underhand. If you're going to ban something then ban it, but you don't allow people to sue Ford because someone ran over a person in one of their cars, so you shouldn't be able to sue a gun manufacturer for misuse of their product either.

On the research thing though, banning the CDC doing research was vile and indefensible. I'm very glad he's changed his mind. Given the amount of passes Hillary has had on 'evolving' on positions, I assume her supporters will apply the same standard here.

[Douglas Carpenter]

25. "I assume her supporters will apply the same standard here"

Don't count on that. They smear Bernie and his supporters 24/7 and then turn into big crybabies at the slightest hint of criticism and actually claim with straight face (now, I'm serious, they really do and this really cracks me up) that Bernie and his supporters are smearing them and their candidate.

[beam me up scottie]

28. Bernie has always been pro-gun control and explained his vote against the Brady Bill:

Sanders voted against the pro-gun-control Brady Bill, writing that he believes states, not the federal government, can handle waiting periods for handguns. In 1994, he voted yes on an assault weapons ban. He has voted to ban some lawsuits against gun manufacturers and for the Manchin-Toomey legislation expanding federal background checks.

http://www.ontheissues.org/2016/Bernie_Sanders_Gun_Control.htm

Alternet: Bernie's Gun Control Critics Are Wrong—His Stance Has Been Consistent for Decades

Next, the 1990 debate turned to gun control. The moderator, who clearly was a Second Amendment absolutist, went after Bernie—to test his mettle after Smith’s about-face.

“Do you support additional restrictions on firearms? Do you support additional restrictive firearms legislation?” he asked. “Bernie Sanders, explain yourself, yes or no?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Two years ago, I went before the Vermont Sportsman’s Federation and was asked exactly the same question. It was a controversial question. I know how they felt on the issue. And that was before the DiConcini Bill. That was before a lot of discussion about the Brady Bill. That was before New Jersey and California passed bills limiting assault weapons.

“I went before the sportsmen of Vermont and said that I have concerns about certain types of assault weapons that have nothing to do with hunting. I believe in hunting. I will not support any legislation that limits the rights of Vermonters or any other hunters to practice what they have enjoyed for decades. I do have concerns about certain types of assault weapons.”

That was not the end of his remarks. But it is worth noting that his separating the rights of traditional hunters from the concerns of police chiefs has been a constant thread in many subsequent votes he would take in Congress. It’s also noteworthy that Bernie consistently has opposed assault weapons from the late 1980s—before he was in Congress—which he reiterated to the moderator.

“I said that before the election,” he continued. “The Vermont sportspeople, as is their right, made their endorsement. The endorsed Peter Smith. They endorsed Paul Poirier. I lost that election by about three-and-one-half percentage points, a very close election. Was my failure to get that endorsement pivotal? It might have been. We don’t know. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. All I can say is I told the sportspeople of Vermont what I believe before the election and I am going to say it again.

“I do believe we need to ban certain types of assault weapons. I have taked to police chiefs. I have talked to the police officers out on the street. I have read some of the literature all over this country. Police chiefs, police officers are concerned about the types of weapons which are ending up in the hands of drug dealers and other criminals and our police oficers are getting outgunned.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/bernies-gun-control-critics-are-wrong-his-stance-has-been-consistent-decades

Sanders Votes for Background Checks, Assault Weapons Ban

WASHINGTON, April 17 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) today voted for expanded background checks on gun buyers and for a ban on assault weapons but the Senate rejected those central planks of legislation inspired by the shootings of 20 first-grade students and six teachers in Newtown, Conn.

“Nobody believes that gun control by itself is going to end the horrors we have seen in Newtown, Conn., Aurora, Colo., Blacksburg, Va., Tucson, Ariz. and other American communities,” Sanders said. “There is a growing consensus, however, in Vermont and across America that we have got to do as much as we can to end the cold-blooded, mass murders of innocent people. I believe very strongly that we also have got to address the mental health crisis in our country and make certain that help is available for people who may be a danger to themselves and others,” Sanders added.

The amendment on expanded background checks needed 60 votes to pass but only 54 senators voted for it. “To my mind it makes common sense to keep these weapons out of the hands of people with criminal records or mental health histories,” Sanders said.

Under current federal law, background checks are not performed for tens of thousands of sales – up to 40 percent of all gun transfers – at gun shows or over the Internet. The amendment would have required background checks for all gun sales in commercial settings regardless of whether the seller is a licensed dealer. The compromise proposal would have exempted sales between “family, friends, and neighbors.”

In a separate roll call, the Senate rejected a proposal to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. That proposal was defeated by a vote of 60 to 40.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-votes-for-background-checks-assault-weapons-ban

He even voted for the 1994 crime bill because it included the Violence against Women Act and assault weapons ban:

In 1994, however, Sanders voted in favor of the final version of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a bill that expanded the federal death penalty. Sanders had voted for an amendment to the bill that would have replaced all federal death sentences with life in prison. Even though the amendment failed, Sanders still voted for the larger crime bill.

A spokesman for Sanders said he voted for the bill "because it included the Violence Against Women Act and the ban on certain assault weapons."

Sanders reiterated his opposition to capital punishment in 2015. "I just don’t think the state itself, whether it’s the state government or federal government, should be in the business of killing people," he said on a radio show.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/sep/02/viral-image/where-do-hillary-clinton-and-bernie-sanders-stand-/

[MaggieD]

35. That's simply not true

The NRA helped elect him and he promptly did their bidding by voting against the Brady Bill. He has a horrible voting record on guns overall.

[beam me up scottie]

36. Which parts of the information I posted are untrue? Be specific.

[MaggieD]

37. He voted against the Brady Bill

So he has not always been a strong supporter of gun gun control. He has an abysmal record on gun votes. Period.

You must think people here are idiots.

ETA - I didn't read a word of it because the subject header is complete baloney. If you want people to read your posts don't start them with an objectively false statement.

[beam me up scottie]

39. So no part of the info I posted is false, thought so.

You must think people here are idiots.

Meh, that's a matter of opinion. Some are, some aren't.

[MaggieD]

40. The very first sentence

After that who cares because you started with a whopper of a false hood.

[beam me up scottie]

41. Yep, you got nothin. Thanks for playing!

[MaggieD]

43. I don't need "nothin"

Every half aware person knows he has a shitty record on gun control. I'm just calling you out for posting baloney.

[beam me up scottie]

44. Good because you really don't even have that, you're in the negative numbers now.

Keep digging those holes, Maggie!

Keep pretending those facts aren't there! That's why I posted them, I knew someone would come along and do just that. There's always one.

[MaggieD]

45. The facts are this....

It's ridiculous to claim that someone who voted against the Brady Bill five times "has always been pro gun control"

Have you figured out why I respond multiple times to your posts like these? LOL!

[beam me up scottie]

46. Voting multiple times for assault weapons bans and background checks = pro-gun control

You're entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.

Sorry, another fail.

[MaggieD]

49. Voting against the Brady Bill 5x makes a pol ANTI Gun control

It's not a difficult concept. But please proceed. It's always amusing.

[AgingAmerican]

48. Double negative

Jokes on you

[Laelth]

29. I continue to believe that Gun Control legislation is bad for the party as a whole.

Mr. Sanders comes from a rural state. There's no wonder he has voted the way he has in the past. Personally, given the strength of the 2nd Amendment, given recent Supreme Court rulings on the 2nd Amendment, given the current makeup of the Supreme Court, and given that we need to pull votes from gun-owning voters who might support us were it not for this one issue (a highly reinforced meme that all Democrats are gun-grabbers), I'd rather shy away from this issue.

Gun deaths are horrendous, obviously. We are the most armed nation on Earth, for various historical and political reasons, but I have more important priorities at the moment. The time is just not right for significant movement on this issue. I'd advise Democrats to steer clear of it, recognize the supremacy and significance of the Constitution, suggest that a Constitutional amendment would be required to effectively alter the 2nd Amendment, and then move on to more pressing issues about which we may be able to do something constructive.

Fighting for further gun control will not gain us any votes. It's a net loser. In 2016, we need to win.

-Laelth

[BeyondGeography]

31. This is about fighting for the right to deepen our understanding of gun violence

via scientific studies by the NIH and CDC. If we can't fight for that, we might as well send surrender notes to the NRA. Mind numbing that anyone here would oppose that, and truly sad that Sanders has his name attached to a vote against it.

[Douglas Carpenter]

57. Isn't Hillary being dishonest by promising gun control laws that she knows has no chance of passing?

If they are going to make similar accusations against Bernie on other issues then shouldn't the same principle?

Bernie stated the obvious in the first debate when he pointed out about how the attitude toward guns and gun control is very different in rural parts of America than in urban areas. In Western PA where I grew up - liberal Democrats can and do win - but they cannot win if they are labelled as pro-gun control. That is the simple political reality. Personally, I wish our country did have much stricter gun control laws. But in most of rural America - that is not ever remotely politically feasible. The valid point that they do sometimes mention is that rural areas have much lower homicide rates even with a higher percentage of gun ownership. I still think we would be better off with tougher gun control laws - but is simply is not going to fly. That is reality, unfortunately.

[riversedge]

32. So, Sanders is evolving towards sensile gun control measures. Evolving is a good thing

[NurseJackie]

34. Yes it is. So now that we have an example of Bernie "evolving", it's reasonable to expect ...

... that Bernie's fans will discontinue their attacks and smears when it comes to the issues that Hillary has also evolved on?

That's a reasonable expectation, right?

[TM99]

38. He has always been for moderate gun control.

Now he is willing to change his stance on one study. That is all.

That is not 'evolving' on a position. That is consistent with his positions. Before doing something new, we need more information.

Y'all know this, but anything to justify the weathervane that is Camp Clinton, right?

[NurseJackie]

42. So, what you're saying is that it all depends on who's doing the evolving. Got it! Thanks.

[TM99]

51. Clinton doesn't ever evolve.

Period.

She makes binary 180º changes when it is politically expedient.

She was completely opposed to gay marriage, then she was suddenly for it.

She was completely for the TPP, then she was suddenly all against it.

You do know that if you are going to use a term like evolution, you ought to get the metaphor right. Evolution is subtle, slow, change over a long period of time.

What Clinton does is neither subtle nor slow. It is just flip flopping.

Sanders is consistent on moderate gun control. He does not take positions at either extreme. Therefore, if there is a need for change, it is still consistent with long term and long held positions, belief, etc.

I am done playing these games with those who justify at all times and in all ways the actions of a lying and pandering neoliberal politician.

Have a great morning!

[NurseJackie]

52. We disagree.

Therefore, if there is a need for change, it is still consistent with long term and long held positions, belief, etc.

This makes no sense. If he's changing, then it's different from before.

You do know that if you are going to use a term like evolution, you ought to get the metaphor right. Evolution is subtle, slow, change over a long period of time.

Biologically, yes. With regard to politics and policy, that's not how the term is typically used. (I think you know that.)

It is just flip flopping.

As I and many others have noted, the definition and application of this term appears to vary greatly depending on the identity of one's preferred candidate.

I am done playing these games ...

[workinclasszero]

33. Bernie is EVOLVING on guns, is he?

About damn time. Too bad he wasn't on board with Hillary and the rest of the democratic party years ago on this issue.

Better late than never eh Bernie??

[mcar]

50. Good to see he's evolved on the issue

[MineralMan]

53. I guess he has evolved.

That happens. Evolution speeds up during campaign season, too.

[workinclasszero]

54. "Evolution speeds up during campaign season, too."

Ain't that the truth LOL

[MineralMan]

55. So it seems, and on all sides, really.

"Taking the pulse of America..."

[postatomic]

58. Wait. He voted FOR 'The Protection Of Lawful Commerce In Arms Act'??

Written by the NRA.

That motherfucker.

Here's your Gun Violence Study..... a bullet comes out of the gun and hits a person. That person is injured or killed. The study is now finished.